Chapter 8: The Sons Of The Patron

The area where Gina and Carlo lived in LA was peaceful, the Patron’s soldiers quickly eliminated the few local troublemakers. Gina and Carlo both signed up for junior college classes, starting with remedial classes in English and Math. It turned out they were not that far behind. After that they “collected” introductory classes so when they returned to the colony they could teach the children.

The couples sent to Miami and Dallas did not fare as well as they did, within 10 years both of the other families had relocated to LA.

When Gina and Carlo’s first daughter Frida was in grade school things in the neighborhood went downhill quickly. About a half dozen small gangs formed virtually at the same moment and their conflicts caused troubles for all. The police were no help, and the individuals who lived in the area were no match for the gangs.

When Frida was in high school Toad came and he brought the pain.

The Patron and Eve had two sons, Pablo and Toad (actually Pedro, but he refused to answer to that). Because of the education available, both children were raised mostly in the US.

Pablo started the Patron’s cocaine operation. After a rough start in Miami, where he had to deal with both the other criminals and the authorities (who were sometimes criminals) he changed his approach 180 degrees. His revised system was clever and he kept tight control on the operation from import to street-level sales. His method of doing business was unconventional and expensive, reducing profit. But it was very nearly fool-proof, meaning he used no local fools except in secondary roles. The key was that, instead of bringing the product in across the southern border of the US, he had it come from Cuba by ocean-going freighters via the Great Lakes. Once in the US, the product was not sold in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin or Minnesota. Instead it was moved to the smaller marketplace cities where he established a local monopoly.

Toad was not interested in the drug trade. He renounced his position as a Prince. Instead of doing what his father asked Toad chose to start his own two crews of hardened, organized criminals to pull off scores. When he needed a base he came and settled in Gina’s neighborhood. What he found in terms of small gangs did not please him. He forged 49 by uniting the low-rank members of several gangs, then watching for the proper moment. Frida was one of his first members, she moved into his house as a “cousin” when she started high school. When she was 18, she became one of his commanders. Toad did not wait for the gang leadership to react and attack his kids, he used the Patron’s deadly experienced soldiers plus his gang members as well as his crews. He had gathered information on the opposition, then he moved swiftly, without mercy.